In gaming establishments, such as casinos or the like, a large number of game terminals are placed throughout such an establishment. Players of the game terminals select the game terminal which they wish to play and either obtain coins or chips from a roving change clerk or use the coins or chips or other credit items in their possession at the time they select a game to play.
Typically, a game player obtains additional change for playing games from the roving change clerk who carries a certain amount of money and makes change on the spot near a game terminal operated by a game player. In the alternative, the game terminal can have a bill acceptor and coin handling means wherein the game player can obtain additional change by operating the bill acceptor so as to avoid having to call on the change clerk to make change for continued play of the game.
The disadvantage of this game playing technique is that, when the game player runs out of change, coins or chips, the player may not be able to continue to play the game terminal for some time, at least for several minutes or more, because the change clerk who makes the change is not immediately available. Moreover, a certain amount of time is required to operate a bill acceptor in that the person must take a bill out of his pocket, place it in the bill acceptor and then scoop up the change from the bill acceptor before depositing the change in the game terminal and continuing to play the game terminal. This stoppage reduces profits in that it reduces the amount of money fed to the game terminal. It also increases game terminal costs which must include a bill acceptor, coin handling means and/or a printer. This additional peripheral costs could run as high as $1,000 per terminal.
Because of the foregoing drawbacks, a need exists for improvements in apparatus and method for the play of a game or games without the need for cash in the form of coins, chips and other credit items. The present invention satisfies this need.
Disclosures relating to this general subject matter include the following U.S. Patents:
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